What is the term for the range around a sample estimate that is likely to contain the true population value?

What is the term for the range around a sample estimate that is likely to contain the true population value?

• A. Confidence interval
• B. P-value
• C. Margin of error
• D. Standard deviation

Answer: (A)

A confidence interval is the range around a sample estimate within which the true population value is expected to lie, given a chosen level of confidence (such as 95%). It reflects both the estimate and the precision of the estimate—the wider the interval, the less precise the estimate, and higher confidence levels produce wider intervals. The margin of error is the half-width of this interval and represents the precision of the estimate. The P-value measures how compatible the observed data are with a null hypothesis, not a range around the estimate. The standard deviation describes how spread out the data are, not the interval around a population parameter. So the correct term for that range is confidence interval.

A confidence interval is the range around a sample estimate within which the true population value is expected to lie, given a chosen level of confidence (such as 95%). It reflects both the estimate and the precision of the estimate—the wider the interval, the less precise the estimate, and higher confidence levels produce wider intervals. The margin of error is the half-width of this interval and represents the precision of the estimate. The P-value measures how compatible the observed data are with a null hypothesis, not a range around the estimate. The standard deviation describes how spread out the data are, not the interval around a population parameter. So the correct term for that range is confidence interval.